How To Stop Neck & Shoulder Pain From Disturbing Your Sleep, ‘Slowing You Down’ or Endlessly Avoiding Doing The Things You Love.

If that’s happening to you, you’re not alone – we hear this type of thing all the time. In fact, Neck and Shoulder Pain are one of THE most common problems that we see in our Physiotherapy Clinic in Knightsbridge, Central London. 

When it comes to living with neck and shoulder pain, everybody we see wants to know:

“Why is This Happening to Me?”… 
or,
  “Why Am I Still Suffering With Neck & Shoulder Pain After Putting Up With It For Months (Or Even Years)?

The good news is that while neck  pain can be seriously painful it is rare that you’ve done any serious damage or have a serious medical issue. Even though 99% of neck pain is not dangerous it can still be very painful and make life very uncomfortable so people often end up resting or taking painkillers. They can become concerned for their health after hearing worrying stories from friends and family, from articles on the internet or even from out of date health professionals. This can mean that the strategies to understand and deal with the pain actually cause more problems in the long run.

There may be underlying structural changes such as a disc bulge, arthritis or degenerative discs. However we now know that these are normal signs of ageing- most people without any pain also have these changes seen on imaging e.g. x-ray or MRI (often even in those under 30 years old). On the other hand some people have un-resolving pain but a scan finds nothing ‘wrong’. They are left frustrated and confused with ‘no diagnosis’. 

You may have an x-ray or MRI, which shows changes such as arthritis or a disc bulge but this doesn’t mean that you are destined to be in pain!


Our structure is not the only factor when we are in pain and may not be the most relevant. Successful resolution of pain and movement problems comes from addressing multiple factors specific to each individual. (Usually the structure doesn’t need to change- our bodies can accommodate things like arthritis or bulging discs.)

Our bodies are resilient and do heal. If people do the right things, then in most cases even agonising neck pain will resolve naturally in 3-6 weeks. However for some people their neck and shoulder pain goes on for months or even years longer than it should. When the pain doesn’t go away or it keeps coming back people begin to worry about their health. They feel frustrated that they can’t stay active. They can feel that pain is beginning to limit their life as they give up on activities that are important to them. They might feel like they’ve lost their energy and their ‘old self’ due to pain, nights of disturbed sleep or taking painkillers. They find it hard to enjoy their own life and be able take care of those who rely on them.


Have you been finding yourself asking any of these questions:

• “Why have I got this pain?”
• “How long is this going to last? Why has it not gone away yet, will I always have this?”
• “What do I need to do to get better?”
• “Do I need any help, and who should I see to get help?”

Maybe you are confused because you’ve been told different things, by different people. Maybe you think you have a neck problem – but it’s actually your shoulder where the problem is? It’s a very confusing part of the body to work out where the problem is, and this often leads people to procrastinate and put off making a decision about what to do to help fix their Neck and Shoulder pain. Worse, many people just end just accepting it as ‘part of life’ – as if it’s normal, as if it ‘has’ to be that way.

Do you feel that way too? 

Maybe you’ve been left confused by the many conflicting sources of health advice (internet, friends, co-workers, family and media). Unfortunately our culture, media and even healthcare professions are full of ideas about our bodies and health that are outdated and unhelpful. Usually there are simple things that you can do for yourself to get back to normal. But without good information you aren’t sure what they are. 

Is this how you feel?

Or, maybe you’ve been left feeling sceptical and let down because you’ve sought help from other healthcare professionals or a physiotherapist in the past, and despite what they said or did were unable to resolve your problem.


If you don’t know what you’re doing – neck and shoulder pain can be very confusing and because of this, many people just end up accepting it as ‘part of life’ – as if it’s normal, and ‘just the way it is’. If that sounds like you, then you are not alone. We hear these type of things in clinic everyday.

Have you experienced any of these situations listed below?
(Before coming here many of our current clients have.)